


And As It Turns Out I'm Alive

by renaissancefleabag



Series: All Is Full Of Love [10]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Family Feels, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Leticia Desperately Missed Lilith, Lilith Comes Home, Lilith Is Worse For Wear, The Fluff In This Is So Great That You May Lose Your Teeth, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Zelda Is So Relieved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-18 21:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20198530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renaissancefleabag/pseuds/renaissancefleabag
Summary: "There never is an easy way to tell your three year-old that you have to go away for awhile, and are not sure when you will return. Especially not when you are the queen of Hell, a god, and your child doesn’t understand what any of that means."Lilith returns back home to Zelda and Leticia after business in Hell has kept her away for a while.





	And As It Turns Out I'm Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Another fluffy, angsty, but very fluffy oneshot that I got the idea for awhile back. Hope you all enjoy!

_ “ _ _ I have been so close to death _

_ And I have run so far from life _

_ Hanging on by a little thread _

_ And yelled to try and shush the quiet _

_ And my quiet's not gentle _

_ In empty wells, oh.” _

_ -”Empty Wells” by Charlotte Martin _

* * *

There never is an easy way to tell your three year-old that you have to go away for awhile, and are not sure when you will return. Especially not when you are the queen of Hell, a god, and your child doesn’t understand what any of that means. There also is not an easy way to let your partner know that you may not make it back alive, or uninjured, at the least. Neither one of those conversations are easy to have, and Lilith found herself in a predicament. Since starting her relationship with Zelda, and the addition of Leticia, she had made sure that she settled most of her affairs in a timely manner. She wanted to spend as much time as possible above ground, with her family. Occasionally, she would have to go away for a day or two, but she tried to avoid that. When she did go to Hell, she would make sure that she took care of as much business as possible so that she could stay far away. 

At first things weren’t so bad. Lilith had been away before, and regularly called on the mirror at night to update Zelda, and to tell Leticia good night. Leticia usually fell asleep in Zelda’s lap as she sat in front of the large mirror in her parents’ bedroom. Zelda let Leticia sleep in their bed the whole time Lilith was gone. The little girl would clutch her stuffed giraffe, Artemis, to her chest, and curl up on Lilith’s side of the bed. Zelda would rub Letty’s back as while she burrowed her face in Lilith’s pillow, breathing in her scent. Zelda had placed some pillows near the edge of the bed so Leticia wouldn’t roll off, though she mainly stayed near the center of the bed. There was many a night where Leticia would cry after they ended their mirror calls with Lilith. It got even worse once Lilith stopped calling, and Zelda would find herself rocking her daughter to sleep at odd hours of the morning. 

When Zelda went to work at the Academy, she would drop Leticia off with the first-year class. The students were all several years older than Letty, but the two first-year teachers assured her that as long as Leticia was well-behaved, she could sit in on the classes. This worked on most days, as it gave her something to do, and took her mind off of Lilith. Some days though, Zelda had to come and collect her, as she would wake up after naptime and start tearfully asking for Lilith.

It was one of the hardest times of Zelda’s life, and she was fraying at the seams. She tried to stay calm for Letty, tried to keep her cool, but she _ really _ needed Lilith to come home soon. 

* * *

Lilith returned to Greendale during a church service. She used her last bit of energy to transfer to where Zelda was, and was surprised when she materialized outside of the church. Lilith caught her breath, swayed slightly as she put a hand up to the wall. She waited for the dizziness to pass, stood upright, and quietly snuck in the back door. She didn’t make any noise or sudden movements, and stayed in the rear. Zelda was up front, leading the coven in a prayer. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched the redhead, relief and familiarity washing over her like a balmy sea breeze. 

When Zelda finished and started to move onto the next thing, she looked up and saw Lilith. She smiled, voice catching, and swallowed her tears. Several members turned around to look, and saw Lilith standing there, looking tired, but alive. People immediately started to kneel down, and murmurs of “praise Lilith” could be heard throughout the congregation. Zelda spoke again from the front, announced that the service was over, as she had some catching up to do with their queen. People immediately began to crowd around Lilith, asking her questions about her time in Hell and the demons she faced. She loved discussing Hell with her subjects, as most had no idea what it was like. Zelda just watched, teary-eyed, as Lilith engaged with the coven. She was doing so well these days, coming out of her shell more and more, and genuinely enjoying it. Zelda placed her book aside on the pulpit, and walked over to the front row, where Hilda sat, and a sleeping Leticia lay in her lap. She crouched down in front of the pew, until she was eye-level with Leticia, and gently rubbed her back. 

“Did she sleep through the whole service?”

“Pretty much. I had walked around with her outside for a bit, and gave her a few drops of CalmEase potion.”

Earlier when they arrived at church, Leticia had started to cry, looking around for Lilith. She associated church with the demoness, as she should; however, the fact that Lilith wasn’t there, yet again, was too much for her to handle. Hilda took her outside and walked around with her, trying to calm her down. She had walked a ways into the forest, showed her different plants, flowers, and animals. That usually piqued Letty’s interest, but she only had one thing on her mind, and that was Lilith. 

It had been just over a month since Lilith left, and Leticia’s nerves were frayed. She hadn’t slept much over the past few weeks, crying herself to sleep at night, waking up in the middle of the night asking for Mama. Everyone in the Spellman household had been on the verge of losing it, taking potions and tinctures for a deep, dreamless sleep. Zelda was the only one who hadn’t taken anything, as she wanted to be there to comfort her daughter throughout their many long nights. 

“Peanut? Peanut, wake up sweetie.” Zelda gently shook Letty’s shoulder, trying to get her to stir. Leticia opened her eyes slowly, and looked up at Zelda. Zelda brushed a curl off of Leticia’s forehead, and tucked it behind her ear.

“Mommy?”

Zelda cupped Letty’s cheek, gently brushing her thumb over the tear tracks that had dried there earlier.

“Guess what baby? Your Mama is back.”

“Mama?!” Leticia sat up so quickly from Hilda’s lap that she nearly fell off the pew. Hilda reached out to keep her from falling. 

“Where’s Mama?” Letty looked around frantically, not able to see around all of the adults that stood in the way. Zelda placed a hand on Leticia’s shoulder and pointed to the back of the church, towards where the group of coven members were crowded. 

“Mama!” Leticia ran down the aisle, and right into the back of a coven member who had decided to back away from the crowd right as Letty ran towards it. She fell back on her bottom, and pouted, bottom lip starting to tremble. 

“Oh. I’m sorry little one.” The older gentleman looked genuinely sorry, and looked towards Zelda as Leticia started to cry. 

_ “Mamaaaaa.” _Leticia softly whined, completely exhausted. She wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands, and was about to stand up from the when the crowd parted. Letty was trying to catch her breath, and looked up to see Lilith.

“Letty!” There was a look of love on Lilith’s face, and her arms were outstretched. She immediately swept Leticia up, and held her close, hand cupping the back of her head. Leticia threw her arms around Lilith, and buried her face in her neck.

“My sweet pea. I missed you!” Lilith kissed Leticia, eyes watering, and began to gently rock the child back and forth. 

_ “Mama.” _The child sagged with relief against Lilith.

“I love you so much my darling. So so much!”

“I love you too Mama.” Leticia mumbled against Lilith’s neck. Some of the coven members stepped away, to give them some privacy. Lilith could feel Letty’s body shaking with soft sobs, and patted her back, her own tears now falling.

_ “Shhhh. _Don’t cry. It’s okay. I’m here. Mama’s here.”

Lilith walked down the church aisle and shifted from foot to foot, talking softly to Leticia. She asked her how she had been, and if she had been a good girl. Letty’s answers were muffled in Lilith’s neck, as she didn’t want to let go of her Mama any time soon. Lilith didn’t have any intention of letting her go, either. Zelda watched them pace, and wanted nothing more than to sweep Lilith up in her arms, right then and there. But, she knew that Leticia needed to have this time alone with Lilith, and vice versa. Lilith caught her gaze a few times, eyes watering the moments they met, and mouthed _ I love you_. Zelda watched as she walked back over to where the waiting coven members were, and held Letty close. She jumped back into the conversation, where they had left off, and kept Leticia in her arms, occasionally pressing a kiss to her head, and rubbing her back. 

The coven members didn’t stay around too long afterwards to chat, as they wanted to respect the family, and let them have their much-needed reunion in privacy. Zelda was right behind Lilith, a hand at the small of her back, as she turned around from saying goodbye to the last coven member. She reached around Leticia to hug Lilith, their lips meeting in a gentle yet urgent kiss.

“How I’ve missed you, my sweet girl.” 

Tears fell from Zelda’s eyes, and she brushed some of Lilith’s hair behind her ear, frowning when she saw the bruise that traveled across her cheekbone and up near her hairline.

“You’re hurt.”

Lilith gently sat Leticia down on the floor, and the child frantically clung to her legs. Lilith patted her head and straightened back up, wincing. She reached out a hand to cradle Zelda’s cheek.

“...but I made it back alive, didn’t I?”

Zelda nodded, and looked down at Leticia between them, the little girl watching Lilith intently, thumb in her mouth. Lilith saw the tears fall from Zelda’s eyes, how she tried to blink them away. She slipped her arms around Zelda, hugging her as she wanted to so many times while she was away. Zelda kissed her ear, and buried her face in her hair.

“I’m _ so _glad you’re home.”

“Me too.” 

* * *

When they got home, Lilith put Leticia in her pajamas, and tried to get her ready for bed. She had a transition crib that she could climb out of, the railing only halfway across the front edge of the bed. Each time Lilith laid her down, she just climbed out of the bed, and tried to follow her. Lilith gave in, and picked Letty up, walking around the room with her. Zelda materialized in the doorway.

“Here. I’ve brought her some CalmEase potion, mixed in with some juice.”

Lilith took the cup from Zelda, and walked over to the rocking chair that was in the corner of the room, sitting down. She positioned Letty in her lap so that she could sit upright and drink. Zelda sat down on the nearby ottoman, and ran her hands over her face. She was _ exhausted _.

“I’m glad we kept the chair,” Lilith muttered.

“Me too.” Zelda leaned her head back against the wall eyes on Lilith as she began to gently move the chair forwards and backwards, rocking the toddler. They were still transitioning the “baby” furniture out of Leticia’s room, as she no longer needed a changing table, or a rocking chair; however, Lilith was grateful for the rocking chair in that moment. 

“Make sure you take her to use her potty before bed. She’s wet herself almost every night since you left. I took her to the doctor, and she told me not to worry, that it was anxiety-related. Sometimes toddlers have trouble when there is a major change or the introduction of a stressor in their life. You know how I feel about mortal doctors; however, I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Letty is safe and healthy.” 

Lilith sat up for a moment, a look of concern on her face.

“Did the doctor say anything else? Is she going to be okay?” Lilith had tears in her eyes, and held the child just a little bit closer to her.

“We just have one stressed out Peanut. She should be getting better though, now that you’re back.”

Lilith leaned forward and kissed the top of Leticia’s head, breathing in her scent. 

“Were you scared when I was gone sweet pea? I’m sorry it took so long. Mama didn’t mean to leave you for that long.”

Leticia dropped the sippy cup and hugged Lilith, burying her face in the front of her dress. Lilith’s eyes teared up, and she looked up at Zelda as she cradled Letty to her. 

“I’ve already put a Pull-Up on her, but I’ll take her when we go to brush her teeth—especially since she had something to drink before bed.”

The potion finally started to relax Leticia, and soon she was nodding against Lilith. Lilith took her to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and use her potty before she had completely fallen asleep. By the time they got back to Letty’s room, the little girl was all but asleep. Lilith carefully laid Leticia down in her bed, and tucked her in, placing a kiss on her forehead and whispering a calming, anti-anxiety spell against her soft skin. She tiptoed out of the room and closed the door softly behind her. 

When she got back to the bedroom, Zelda was sitting on the bed in her pajamas, crying. There was a tissue crumpled up in her hands, and she was folding and unfolding it, sniffling. Lilith walked over to her, hands immediately reaching for her. She wedged herself in-between Zelda’s legs, leaning up against the edge of the bed. 

“My love…”

Lilith’s voice came out in a whisper as she broke down, and Zelda leaned forward into her embrace. Lilith hugged Zelda tightly, ran her hands across her back, up into those familiar auburn locks, tried to make Zelda feel the love she had for her. Lilith pulled back to kiss Zelda, their peck earlier nowhere near satisfying enough. They kissed hungrily, like they had never kissed before. Zelda moved back on the bed and Lilith climbed up to straddle her. She looked down at Zelda lying there panting, lips swollen, chest and face turning red. 

“I missed you so much, Zelda.” 

Lilith leaned forward and laced her fingers in between Zelda’s, holding her hands for a moment before placing them up on either side of her head as she leaned in for more kisses. Lipstick was smeared, tears were shared, and lips were bitten. Lilith pulled back, lips releasing Zelda’s tongue, and sat upright again, still straddling Zelda. Zelda ran her hands up Lilith’s sides, and frowned when the demoness flinched and let out a hiss. 

“Lilith are you okay?” 

“Yes. I—I just got a bit banged up down there, that’s all.” Lilith was suddenly very interested in the bedspread beneath them, not wanting to worry Zelda by recounting how she had been attacked whilst in Hell. 

“Let me see where you’ve been hurt.” Zelda moved to sit up, and Lilith stayed in her lap, eyes filling with tears. She backed up off of Zelda’s lap, and pulled her hair over her shoulder. She winced as she reached to unzip her dress.

“Here. Let me.”

Zelda moved to kneel behind Lilith, and unzipped her dress. She leaned forward to kiss the base of Lilith’s neck, breathing in the scent she had sorely missed for the past month. Her hands came to rest on Lilith’s shoulders, and she kissed Lilith’s neck again as she gently pushed her dress off of her shoulders. Zelda gasped when she peeled the dress down Lilith’s body, and saw the array of bruises across her back and midsection.

_ “Lilith.” _

Zelda was terrified, her breath shaky.

“What happened?” Her hands hovered over Lilith’s ribs, afraid to touch her, in case it hurt her even more.

“It looks worse than it is,” Lilith replied, not fooling Zelda. “Not everyone is exactly pleased with me being the queen of Hell.”

“Oh Lilith. Who did this to you?”

Lilith stared off into the distance, in a different place. 

“There were several of them, a group of demons who had been sent off on some mission, for Lucifer. They didn’t know what happened, that we overthrew Him. They got caught up for a few...years...and weren’t too happy to find me in charge.”

Lilith let out a defeated laugh, and this prompted Zelda to wrap her arm around Lilith’s shoulders, hugging her from the side. Lilith stared at her fingernails, picking the last flecks away of her old nail polish. Zelda had painted them for her, bright candy apple red, just before she left. Zelda brought one of Lilith’s hands up to her mouth and kissed her palm.

“Lilith I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been there to protect you.”

“It’s fine…besides you had to stay here to protect Letty.”

Zelda kissed Lilith’s temple, and hugged her again.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, okay?” 

Lilith nodded in response, and watched as Zelda slipped off of the bed. She immediately missed Zelda’s arms around her, the stabilizing warmth. Lilith stood up, letting her dress slide to the floor and pool around her feet. Zelda took her hand, and helped her to step out of the fabric that was bunched up around her ankles. Lilith smiled appreciatively in thanks, and the redhead gave her hand a gentle tug before pulling her along to the bathroom. A light flicked on, bathing the room in soft yellow. Lilith sat on the edge of the bathtub and waited, picking at her nails again. 

“I’ll be right back.” Zelda muttered. She disappeared from the bathroom, and Lilith could hear her walking down the hall. Lilith looked around their bathroom, the familiar bottles and towels, hers and Zelda’s toothbrushes near the sink. It felt good to be home, back to some sense of normalcy. She stood up from the tub and went to stand in front of the sink, observing her face in the mirror. She carefully felt over the bruise on her face, wincing as her fingers moved along. Her eyes drifted to her neck, where just a few days before a large demon had his hands wrapped tight, choking her. She could still feel the soreness in her throat, remembered the sounds she made as she thought that that moment would be her last. Lilith shuddered and grabbed the edge of the counter, trying not to hyperventilate. She almost didn’t make it back to her family, and that thought terrified Lilith the most. She couldn’t imagine a life without Zelda, her love, their Letty, Hilda’s calming presence, Ambrose, Sabrina. It was all too overwhelming to think about. She would never forgive herself if she let herself get killed either, and left her family behind. 

“Hey.”

Lilith heard Zelda’s voice behind her, and she opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. Zelda had a basket containing liquid-filled glass bottles and jars in one hand, and one of Lilith’s favorite pajama shirts in the other. She sat them down on the counter as she leaned against the counter, facing Lilith.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Lilith brushed away a tear, and gave Zelda a quick kiss before pushing away from the counter and going to sit on the edge of the bathtub. Zelda grabbed a washcloth and turned on the sink, feeling the water to make sure it was warm enough. Lilith watched as she wet the washcloth under the water before wringing it out. She turned off the sink and walked over to Lilith. Blue eyes fluttered closed as Zelda wiped her face, neck, down her arms, tummy, legs, and feet. The washcloth was warm against Lilith’s skin, and she realized then just how much she missed Zelda, and the little ways she took care of her. Lilith’s eyes opened when she felt Zelda’s hands reach for the clasps of her bra. She shivered as Zelda gently pulled it off, and walked back to the counter, picking up the basket. She came back to Lilith’s side, and opened up a jar, scooping out a small dollop of some goo that smelled very minty. Zelda rubbed her hands together, working the salve around before gently rubbing it onto Lilith’s ribcage, where the bruises were. Lilith could feel a cooling, calming sensation wash over her bruises, and the pain started to numb. Zelda peered around Lilith’s shoulder to make sure she had spread it over all of the marked skin, and then reached for the jar again. This time, she just dipped a finger in, not wanting to take too much out. She spread it over the bruise on Lilith’s face, careful not to get it near her eyes. Lilith bit her lip as she watched the focused look on Zelda’s face. There was a slight frown on her face, a crease between her brows, and she wanted to kiss it away. Zelda must’ve felt Lilith’s eyes on her, for she gave Lilith a tiny smile as she cupped her unbruised cheek. Zelda closed the small jar, and put it back in the basket before standing back up with a small vial in hand. She unscrewed the lid and held the eyedropper out, hand underneath it.

“This should help with some of the internal pain.”

Lilith tipped her head back, mouth parted slightly and Zelda dropped in a few drops. Lilith swallowed the tart liquid, and felt a warming sensation travel through her body, calming her aches. Zelda grabbed the pajama shirt, and gently pulled it over Lilith’s head. She helped her put her arms through, and then gently took her hand.

“Let’s go to bed.”

Zelda flicked the lightswitch on their way back to the bedroom, and pulled Lilith close. When they got to the edge of the bed Zelda pulled back the covers and let Lilith climb in first. She soon followed after, turning off the lamp on her nightstand first. 

“I really missed this,” Lilith spoke into the darkness as Zelda slid behind her, arms wrapping around her waist. She felt Zelda tuck her chin over her shoulder, felt her even breaths next to her ear.

“I missed it too. God Lilith, don’t ever go away for that long again. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle it. Leticia certainly wouldn’t be able to handle it. We need you here...alive.”

A tear rolled across the bridge of Lilith’s nose, and landed softly on the pillow.

“I’ll try.”

Zelda kissed her neck, and buried her face in her hair.

“Try to rest, sweet girl. I know you’re tired. I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay?”

“Mhmmn.”

Lilith yawned and felt Zelda kissing the back of her neck again. She fell asleep, her body tired and no longer able to stay awake.

* * *

_ Everything is warm, and soft... _

Lilith opened her eyes, blinking slowly in the early morning light. She hadn’t remembered anything from yesterday after Zelda got her ready for bed. She had slept a dreamless sleep, tucked safely in Zelda’s arms. She turned over in Zelda’s arms, face to face with the redhead. She studied Zelda’s face at rest, and couldn’t help but lean in to kiss the tip of Zelda’s nose, and then her lips. When she pulled back, a smile flickered across Zelda’s mouth. 

“My sweet, sweet girl.” Zelda opened her eyes, and Lilith’s heart nearly stopped as she looked into the green depths. She involuntarily teared up, thinking about how close she came to death, never getting to wake up to this sight every day. She started to sob, turning onto her back and covering her face with her hands. Zelda was instantly leaning up over her pulling her hands away from her face.

_ “Lilith. Lilith.” _

Zelda whispered her name, eyes tearing up in sympathy. She wiped away the tears rolling down Lilith’s cheek and kissed her.

“I almost didn’t make it back. I almost…” Lilith gulped, tried to clear her throat. “I almost _ died _.” Zelda listened with a concerned frown on her face. 

“I...I remember running out of air, and I just kept thinking ‘what I wouldn’t give to hold Zelda and Letty just one last time. Just one final kiss.’”

“Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay. You made it. You’re here. _ Alive. _I would’ve fought off any demon that tried to kill you. I need my sweet girl, and Letty needs her Mama.”

Lilith nodded and sniffed, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared at the ceiling. Zelda scooted over to lie flat on her back next to Lilith, their heads touching. She felt Lilith slip her hand into hers, and she gave it a squeeze. 

“I hope Letty will be okay.” Lilith said with a sigh. “I truly didn’t expect to be gone for so long. I didn’t know she would react so badly to my being gone.”

“It’s okay, Lilith. She is at an age where she is becoming her own, independent little person. You’ve been her primary caretaker during the day, for most of the week. She has really bonded with you. Having someone who is there every day just go away for what seems like a really long time is a hard adjustment for her. The doctor assured me that she _ will _be okay—it’s just, she’s never had to deal with anything like this before. And you know how she feels about you…”

“Yeah.” Lilith’s voice got watery as she thought back on the first time Leticia called her ‘Mama.’ 

“I do love that little cuddlebug.” Lilith turned to look at Zelda, and was met with a smile.

“I’m just glad you’re back in one piece. _ Safe _.” 

There was a small metallic sound as the doorknob turned, and Zelda’s eyes looked over towards the bedroom door. 

“I think we have company,” Zelda said. 

“I think so too.” 

The door opened a little bit, and little footsteps padded across the floor, and stopped by Lilith’s side of the bed. Lilith sat up, and looked down to see Leticia standing there, in her pajamas, Artemis in hand. There were tears rolling down the toddler’s face, and Lilith slid off the bed to pick her up, setting her on the bed before climbing back up herself.

“Come lay with us for a bit Peanut.” Zelda muttered, patting the bed next to her. Leticia laid down, and faced Lilith’s direction. Zelda ran her hands through one of Letty’s pigtails, and rubbed her back. Lilith laid back down on her side, and faced Leticia. The little girl moved closer and placed a warm hand on Lilith’s cheek, and started to suck the thumb on her free hand. 

“My sweet little Letty.”

Lilith sat her hand down on top of Letty’s and turned to kiss the small palm. She then rolled onto her back and scooped Leticia up so that she was lying on her chest. Letty readjusted herself, and tucked her head in under Lilith’s chin. Her hand snuck into Lilith’s hair, playing with the locks. Zelda felt tears cloud her vision as she watched them, her loving family. She sat her hand down on top of Lilith’s, which rested on top of Leticia’s back. 

“I love you both so much.”

Lilith laced their fingers together, and smiled, kissing Leticia.

“We love you too.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go to work today, that we could all just stay here,” Lilith spoke, looking forlornly at the ceiling.

“I’m not going to work today. My two girls need me, and I plan to stay right here.”

“Mommy you’re staying home today?!” Leticia was suddenly sitting up and looking at Zelda, wet thumb pulled out of her mouth for just a second.

“Yes sweetie.” Zelda brushed some wild curls out of Leticia’s face.” I’m staying with you and Mama today. All day long.” 

Letty bounced over to Zelda and hugged her. Zelda chuckled, and tickled the child. Leticia squealed, kicking her feet and laughing until she had tears coming from her eyes. 

_ “Stooopp mommy!!” _Leticia cried “I have to go potty!” Zelda stopped, and sat up.

“I’m sorry Peanut. Let’s go. You can use our bathroom.” Zelda slid down off of the bed and picked Leticia up, crossing the room to the bathroom. Lilith could hear Letty singing from inside the bathroom.

_ “You’ll be in my heaaart, you’ll be in my heaaaart, from this day on, now and— _what’s the word again Mommy?”

“Forever.”

_ “...now and forever moooore. _ I want to sing that for Mama. Will she like it?” 

“Yes sweetie, I think she’ll _ love _it.”

“Mommy? Can we watch Tarzan again?”

“Sure. Maybe after we have some breakfast, okay?”

“Okay!”

A toilet flushed, and fresh tears spilled out of Lilith’s eyes. She would do anything for her family. The love she had for them was unfathomable. 

“Mama!!” Leticia burst out of the bathroom, Zelda running behind her with a hand towel. 

“Letty please dry your hands.” Zelda commanded. Leticia looked at Zelda and brushed her hands over her pajamas, and jumped up and down by Lilith’s slide of the bed. Zelda shook her head, and put the towel back in the bathroom. Lilith got down from the bed and picked the child up, tossing her up into the air and catching her. 

“I heard you singing. You sounded beautiful, sweet pea!”

Leticia’s smiled, blushing a bit.

“Mommy said we can watch Tarzan again after we eat! Do you want to watch it too Mama?”

Lilith took Leticia’s hand in her own, and kissed the back of it. 

“I want to do whatever you want to do, so yes!”

“Yaaayy!!” Letty clapped her hands out of excitement. 

Zelda had already gone downstairs, and was in the kitchen cooking by the time Lilith and Letty came down. Leticia wanted to help Zelda, and had pushed a chair over to the counter. Zelda put an apron on her—an adult-sized one that was folded in half—and let her stir the pancake mix.

“Look Mommy I’m cooking!”

“Yes baby, you are. Just be sure you stir it well, so there are no lumps.”

Leticia frowned at the bowl, tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on stirring the mixture. Zelda smiled to herself when she caught sight of the little girl’s face. It felt good to have things finally back to normal, her family all here where zje could protect them. 

_ Where is Lilith? _

Zelda looked around the kitchen, the house suspiciously quiet aside from the bacon and eggs she had cooking on the stove. She stepped away from the stove and looked out into the living room. She saw several large sheets draped over the backs of the chairs, which had been turned around facing outwards. Some movement came from under the sheet, and saw Lilith back out on her hands and knees, a pillow in hand. She stood up and winced, a hand coming to rest over her ribs. 

“You made Letty a blanket fort…”

“Yeah, yes. Is that bad?”

Zelda continued to stare, and shook her head from side to side, still staring off into the distance.

“No...it’s just, I didn’t think you remembered she had asked you about it. And then you had to go away, and you two never got to do this.”

“Of _ course _I remembered.” 

“She is going to love it. How are you feeling this morning? Still sore?”

Lilith didn’t try to lie, too tired to pretend.

“Yes, actually.”

Zelda walked over to her, and slid her hands underneath her pajama shirt. She said a spell, focusing on Lilith’s chest. Lilith felt her pain recede to a dull throb that she could ignore if she didn’t think about it.

“Thank you.”

Zelda simply pulled Lilith’s hips against hers, and placed a kiss against her lips. When it ended, Zelda traced her hands carefully down Lilith’s waist. 

“I have to go finish breakfast, but when I’m done, I’ll go upstairs and get you some more of that potion I gave you last night, and maybe some of the salve, okay?”

Lilith nodded, and bent to pick up the pillow she had dropped when Zelda was kissing her.

* * *

“Mama?”

“Yes my darling?”

“Don’t go away anymore. I don’t like it.”

Lilith turned onto her side, and faced Leticia. She carefully considered her answer as she looked over the lounging child. The little girl was laying on her back between Lilith and Zelda, all three of them in the blanket fort that Lilith had built. There were lots of pillows and blankets, and some of Letty’s books and toys, off in the corner. Zelda had drifted off to sleep, her own book open and laying face down on her chest. They all still wore their pajamas, and had even eaten lunch in the fort.

“Well sometimes I might have to go away...for work.”

It wasn’t a lie. Lilith was a deity, and she couldn’t abandon her throne. But she also couldn’t abandon her family.

“But...but you were gone _ so _long. I thought you weren’t coming back.” Leticia’s voice got watery, and Lilith looked up at her face just in time to see a tear roll down her cheek. She reached out to wipe it away, and Leticia turned her face into Lilith’s palm, seeking comfort. Lilith sat up, and picked the child up, placing her in her lap. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you and Mommy for so long.”

“Why does your job make you go away sometimes? Why isn’t it like Mommy’s?”

Lilith bit her bottom lip, trying to think of a way to explain to Leticia that she was a ruler, a queen.

“Hey. Remember Merida’s mommy, Queen Elinor, in the movie _ Brave _?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I am like her...my job is the same as hers.”

Lilith held her breath as Leticia processed everything for a moment, then turned around in her lap to look up at her.

“But she is a queen. Are you a queen Mama?”

“Yes sweetie, I am.”

_ “Wow! _ You’re just like in the movies Mama! But real!”

“I am very much real.” Lilith laughed at her child’s reaction.

“Is that why people always act funny when they see you? Like at church?”

“That is _ exactly _ why.” Lilith booped Letty on the nose, and she gave half of a smile, her mind still trying to work through the new information she had just been told.

“Mama! If you’re a queen, does that mean you are going to turn into a bear too?” Panic was written all across Letty’s face, her eyes wide as saucers.

“No, no.” Lilith placed a comforting hand on Leticia’s back. “That was only in the movie. I don’t turn into a bear...not unless someone wanted me to.” She winked at the little girl, and that drew a giggle out of her.

_ “Lilith _ . _ ” _Zelda’s voice came out in a tone that cautioned her not to give Letty any ideas.

Leticia crawled off of Lilith’s lap, and sat down next to Zelda.

“Mommy, did you know that Mama is a queen, just like in the movies?!”

“Yes dear, she is indeed a queen.”

“I want to draw a picture of you Mama!” Leticia scrambled around the fort, looking for her crayons and paper. She suddenly paused, and looked back over at Lilith, who had snuggled up next to Zelda.

“Mama?” Leticia’s voice was small, and she seemed quite uncertain. Lilith lifted her head up from Zelda’s arm, and looked over at Letty. 

“If...if you’re a queen...can I be a princess?” 

“Oh sweet pea, you already are!”

“Really?!” Leticia abandoned the crayons she had in her hand, and jumped to hug Lilith. She smiled as Lilith’s arm wrapped around her.

“Thank you Mama. I love you.”

“I love you too, Letty. My little princess.”


End file.
